Insulating unit



April 9, 1935 c. H. THAYER 1,997,324

INSULATING UNIT Filed March l5, 1934' 'Patented Apr. 9, 193s 1,997,324

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE INSULATING UNIT Clarence H. Thayer, Media,Pa., assgnor to-Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of NewJersey Application March 15, 1934, Serial No. '115,784

1 Claim. (Cl. 72-36) In the '11 industry, and also in many ehemicalperiod to normal temperatures without cracking. industries, it is oftenadvisable to have refractory I have found that glass of the borosilicatetype insulating -materials in apparatus where gases, forms is a verysatisfactory coating for these wet vapors, or oil in heated conditionwill comeV blocks, being capable of withstanding tempera- 5 into contactwith the same. Since refractory and tures up to 1000-1200 F., followedimmediately 5 insulating materials are of a more or less porous byimmersion in cold water without cracking or nature, it is impractieableto permit them to come spalling. The blocks may be coated with the intodirect contact with heated vapors or liquids, vitreous or othercomposition by dipping them into since such vapors fill the pores of therefractory a bath containing the coating composition in l0 material andcondense therein, or the liquids lill molten form, or the coating may beapplied to the l0 the pores, and thus impair the insulating value blocksby spraying the blocks with the material of the materials. in moltenform, as, for instance, by means of an I have discovered that porousinsulating mate- Oxy-acetylene flame or an Oxy-hydrogen flame. rials maybe prepared for use under the conditions My insulating units may also bemade by blowabove outlined, by coating the exterior surface of ing orpressing a thin-walled glass box 3, as shown `lli blocks of the materialwith enamel or other in Fig. 3, and placing the refractory materialvitreous material such as glass. It is, therefore, therein, in eitherpowder, lump, or block form. an object of the present invention toprovide an a .plane glass plate may then be' laid on top of insulatingunit which may be used in direct conthe box-like glass container and itsedges fused tact with condensible gases or vapors or liquids, to theedges ofthe container. 20 corrosive or otherwise, while in either aheated Another form my invention may take is illusor cold condition. Itis also an object of the prestrated vin Fig. 4. In this modification twoboxent invention to provide such an insulating unit like containers 3and 4, similar to that` shown in Which may be made in any shape t0CODfOlm With Fig. 3 are either blown or pressed, the insulating theshape of any vessel or apparatus inwhich it is brick is then placed inone, the other' is slipped 25 to be used. over it and the edges 5 arefused together. My

A better understanding of my invention may be invention may also bepracticed by forming a tube had by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, B of any cross-sectional shape desired, filling of which:lengths of the tube with refractory material and Fig. lis a perspectiveof one form of an insulatthen joining end plates to the units so formedby 30 ing block with the outer coating partly broken fusing Vsuch platesto the tube edges.

away, and While'in the specification I have specified cer- Fig. 2 is across section taken on line A-A of tain insulating or refractorymaterials which may Fig. 1. be coated and certain materials which aresuitable Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show modified forms of my infor use ascoatings, I do not wish to be limited in 35 vention.A my claim to thesecoatings. -Nor do I wish to be In accordance with my invention, a blockof limited to the shape of the block shown in the refractory material Iis coated with a thin layer drawing, as the units may be made in anyshape of vitreous material 2. The refractory material or form desired. t

40 may be any one of a number of materials now What'I claim as new anddesire to protect by 40 on the market which are capable of withstandingUnited States Letters Patent is: high temperatures, and which have lowcoei- An'insulating unit which is impervious to gases cients ofexpansion, such, for instance, as blocks ,and liquids, resistant tocorrosive fluids and which of magnesia, blocks of cellular gypsum,blocks is capable of withstanding quick changes in temof asbestoscomposition or diatomaceous earth perature of the order of 1200 F. ormore compris- 45 which is sawn into block form in its natural state. inga core of diatomaceous earth completely cn- These blocks may be coveredwith any enamel or veloped by a thin layer of a borosilicate glass hav-'vitreous composition having a low coefficient of ing an extremely lowcoefficient of expansion. expansion, and which is capable of beingheated 5o to high temperatures and cooled within a short CLARENCE H.THAYER.. 50

